


Your Eyes Shine in Surprise and the World is Right

by orphan_account



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-12
Updated: 2014-12-12
Packaged: 2018-03-01 03:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2757149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AKA; The one where Jack makes his NHL debut</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Eyes Shine in Surprise and the World is Right

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: Yeah, this isn't canon compliant anymore. I'll leave it up, but I'll write new stuff about confirmed canon

Jack was more nervous than he'd expected to be. He'd been playing hockey since he could skate, he was _good_ at it. He knew hockey. There was no reason to be as nervous as he was.

Save for the fact that it was his first NHL game on the ice. It was his first professional ice time. His first game as a starter.

There was admittedly, a small reason to be nervous.

He had a good team, and though he wasn't yet as close with them as the Samwell team, they were still a good team of guys. He would go to the after party for forty minutes, and then he would Skype Eric.

His dad was watching.

Oh God, his dad was watching.

Jack cleared his throat as he adjusted his helmet. One of his teammates slapped him on the shoulder. Right. He was a professional. One of the Montréal Canadiens. He would be fine. He was a decent player. He would be fine.

 

He was more than fine. He was really good. _He had two_ _assist_ s. He had two motherfuckingassists _. Two._

Jacksmiled to himself as he changed into his jeans. He had been told that he had to stay in his jersey for the after party. He’d been to a couple, having been on the team for a month and a half, but it was his first professional ice time, so he had been told that tonight’s party would be something special. They weren’t listening when he said that he wasn’t a party person.

He was too proud to care, to be completely honest.

Their goalie, Martin, clapped him on the shoulder. “Good Game, Zimmerman!” He said energetically. “Are you ready to celebrate or what?”

Jack carefully extracted himself from the older player’s grasp. “I’ll catch up in a bit.” He assured. “My folks made me promise I would meet them down on the ice after the game.”

“Ah.” Martin said. “You should probably go see them. Your Dad’s got to be really proud, starting out like he did.”

The sentence made Jack want to cringe, as this was _his_ beginning and he wasn’t his father but he just nodded and walked away. His dad would have been more proud if he was one of the Pens, but he’s happier here. Here, he was home.

 

As expected, his parents were at the bench. A little unexpectedly, they had their backs turned to the bench itself, facing the ice as they talked with one of his coaches. When they saw him walking to the other bench before dropping into the rink, they turned, but didn’t move towards him.

That was a weird, Jack had to admit.

It was less weird when he saw the box beside them. It was fairly large, about a meter, by a meter and a half. It wasn’t wrapped, as the box was colored itself, the cardboard dyed red. He had no idea what the hell was in that box, but he wanted to know. He stared at the box for a moment before deciding that it could wait for him to hug his mother.

She beamed at him proudly after he pulled back from the hug, her smile showing just a small hint of teeth, just like his did. “My boy’s all grown up and in the Big League.” She grinned. “My boy’s one of the Habs.”

Jack ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve been one of the Habs for a year and a half, Mom.” He said in an effort to hide his embarrassment.

“You haven’t been playing that long though.” Bob jumped in. “That was a damn good assist, Son.”

Jack nodded to his dad. “Thanks.” He remembered then that he was supposed to keep things fairly brief, as he did have a party to go to. “What’s with the package?”

“Some of your Samwell friends sent it overnight,” His mother explained. “We agreed to give it to you after the game.” She leaned up to his her son’s cheek again. “It was, a really good game today, Jack.” She said before she started walking away, Bob in tow.

 

Jack looked at the box for a moment, unsure if he should try and shake it or not. He elected against it, on the off chance that Eric had packed pastries. (Jack wasn’t quite sure when Bittle had turned to Eric and Bitty, used interchangeably. It had to have been some time before they started dating almost two years ago, Jack was almost sure.) He lifted the lid, and the sides of the box fell to the ground, having only been held together by the lid.

“You got an assist!” Eric said excitedly. Eric. His boyfriend. His boyfriend, who was at Samwell when they talked on the phone yesterday. His boyfriend, who was sitting right in front of him. “You also have some very charming stubble that you didn’t have when I skyped you on Sunday.”

“Hey.” He finally managed.

There was no swell of music, no holding each other or kisses. There were too many people around for that. What there was, however, a smile that lit up Eric’s entire face. That was pretty damn good all by itself, Jack had to admit.

“Hey there, Love.” Eric said softly. “Surprise.”

Jack opened and closed his mouth briefly. “How did you get to Montreal?” He finally decided on asking.

“Do you know how much somebody will pay for one of my apple pies?” Eric asked with a laugh. “People will pay twenty dollars for one apple pie. They’ll pay thirty for a set of six mini pies.” He shrugged with a grin. “I sold a lot of pies and several trays of cupcakes. I apparently have a reputation. Your Mother put the lid on the box and told me where your game was going to be because I got so lost. You wouldn’t believe how lost I got, it was a sight to behold. I was almost late. How awful would that have been, coming all this way just to miss you play? Thankfully, your Mother’s a doll and helped me get here.”

Jack opened his mouth to speak before he heard the crashing sounds of his teammates approaching. He winced. “They want me to go to a party.” He explained as Eric peered around Jack to look at the rowdy team.

“I’m here until Sunday afternoon.” Eric said, his voice carefully neutral. “I could just head back to your apartment and wait?”

Jack shook his head. “Sure, I’m going to blow off my boyfriend, who flew three hours to come see me. Give me a second.” He stood and extended a hand to Eric. Eric took the hand and let Jack pull him to his feet.

Eric stuck his hands in the pockets of the hoodie he was wearing. It was Jack’s, he had taken it from Jack last time he visited Samwell.

“Zimmerman!” One of the D-Men, Jones, called, his voice excited. “You’re late for the party!”

“I had a friend pop in!” He replied. “Am I allowed a plus one?”

 

“This is a little different than Haus Parties!” Eric said over the noise. “Do you have these after every game?”

“I don’t think so. Only after special games. They decided I was special enough for one of these I guess.” Jack yelled back. “I don’t think they have the kind of food Haus Parties have either.”

Eric grinned. “That’s because they don’t have me. If they had me, then maybe y’all would have gotten close.”

“You said you were from Samwell?” Martin asked.

Eric nodded. “Yeah, I’m a business major. I’m also Samwell’s fastest skater.” He rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. “The team calls me Bitty, but Eric’s fine too if you don’t like nicknames or something like that.”

“Bitty?” Jones asked, snickering a little.

Eric rolled his eyes. “My name is Eric Bittle.” He deadpanned. “It’s not because I’m small. I’m a little on the short side, that doesn’t mean that everything said to me is governed by my height.”

“Are you sure it’s not because you’re small?” Martin poked. “You are kinda short.”

“I’m one hundred percent sure, that it’s not because I’m short. If Ransom and Holster were here, you would have a PowerPoint to explain why, but I’m not them, so you’ll have to do with my word.”

Jones opened his mouth to continue on the thread of Bitty's height and Eric tensed for an argument, but Martin spoke over them. “So you’re Samwell’s fastest skater?” He enquired loudly, knocking Jones in the shoulder. “What position do you play?”

 

They stayed longer than Jack had intended to, getting back to Jack’s apartment at nearly one in the morning. Eric dropped the suitcase he had been carrying and set it on the ground near the door as Jack turned the deadlocks. Eric turned as Jack shrugged off his coat. They stood in silence as they removed their outer layers. “Hey.” He said softly, eyes warm and bright as he took a step closer. “Come ‘ere. We’re alone for the first time in months.”

Jack let Eric pull him closer, watching as Eric tried to find some way to reach is way up to Jack’s lips. He’s still a hair short. “Your height is unfair and you better get your ass down here so I can finally kiss you.”

Jack smiled before leaning down, his lips brushing against Bitty’s. “I missed you.”

Eric laughed into his mouth. “I missed you too, Jack.” A gust from a half open window down the hall made Bitty shudder, curling closer to Jack. “Gosh it’s cold. Do you think we might be a bit warmer, skin to skin?”

Jack leaned back to press his forehead to Eric’s. “That was impossibly cheesy.” He said with a quiet laugh.

“I flew three hours to come and congratulate you.” Bitty murmured as Jack pulled the hoodie and tee shirt off of him. “I think I’m allowed to be a bit corny.”

Eric wriggled out of his undershirt before stopping his movements, a grin spreading across his face as he leaned forwards and kissed Jack, catching his bottom lip beneath his teeth. “I’ve got an idea.” He said lowly as he flipped his fingers under the material of Jack’s jersey, pulling it up over the taller man’s head before putting it on himself.

“I love you so much.” Jack mumbled, picking Eric up, his smile growing as Eric _laughed_.

 

They woke up late, at nearly noon. “Hmm.” Eric hummed. “You don’t have work today, do you?”

“Not today.” Jack hummed. “I’ll have to go work out this afternoon.”

Eric groaned as he curled his legs around Jack’s torso. “Not for at least an hour.” He insisted. “You’re not allowed to move.”

Jack was quiet for a moment. “What if,” he started, slowly. “What if we could have lazy mornings like this on all of my days off?”

“Jack.” Eric said, rolling onto his stomach so he could get a better look at his boyfriend. “I’m sort of trying to finish college right now. I can’t stay live here.”

“I know that.” Jack said, fingers skirting over the smooth skin of Eric’s shoulder. “But after, possibly?”

“After college, if the invitation is still there, I’d love to.” Bitty agreed. His eyes fluttered closed as he curled closer to Jack and relaxed, his smaller frame contouring around him.

“The invitation will still be there.” Jack hummed, pressing his lips to the hollow of Eric’s neck. “We should probably get some food, Bitz.”

“There are mini pies in my suitcase. We can get them later.” Eric insisted. “Now is the time for cuddling. Trust me Jack.”

Jack sighed as he pulled the covers around them, his nose brushing the back of Eric’s neck. “I think I can do that.”

 

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